Microsoft Showcases New Mixed Reality Controllers

Microsoft has been skirting the edge of the VR industry for a while now. It was always only a matter of waiting for the opportune time to pounce for the multi-industry giant. Now, it seems that moment has arrived. At the Build 2017 convention, the company has just announced its first pair of mixed reality controllers.

These new motion controllers have been designed to work with both MR and VR headsets. If you’re confused about the difference, here is a handy explanation, courtesy of Foundry.

The Windows Mixed Reality Controllers (catchy name) function similarly to Microsoft’s HoloLens, in so much as they rely on inside-out tracking. That will ensure that these controllers are somewhat future-proof. Why? Well, being confined to a limited area is one of the things standing in the way of VR going mainstream; meaning, eventually, outside sensors will be scrapped.

Where cost is concerned, Microsoft is leaving pricing up to the discretion of the manufacturers who make VR and MR headsets. Acer, for example, has already said that a pair of these controllers bundled with its Windows VR headset will run for $399.99 when the holidays roll around.

On that note, Microsoft also announced that pre-orders are now available for Acer’s and HP’s MR/VR headsets. They’ll be delivered later this summer, and will cost $300 and $329 respectively.

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About Shawn Gallagher

Shawn Gallagher has been a gamer his entire life. Other features Shawn's possessed his entire life include being a: geek, nerd, fanboy, artist, writer, editor, and a glutton. Through these powers combined--well...he's no Captain Planet, but he can certainly share his knowledge with others using at least one of those traits.